To keep them out of the blind spot, encourage kids to stay 10 feet away from the front or back of the school bus.

Get children to the school bus stop at least 5 minutes early so they won't put themselves at risk by running to catch the bus.

Teach kids to avoid horseplay while waiting for the bus. This will prevent children and their belongings from ending up in the roadway.

Tell kids to take three big steps backwards from the curb when a bus arrives. Don't start approaching the bus until it has stopped and its doors are open.

Dr Alleyne says students should also take care getting off of the bus. "Children should let the driver know if they drop something and make sure the driver can see them if they try to pick it up."

In addition, kids should remain seated and face forward, avoid yelling and horseplay in the bus, and never throw anything.

When it's time to leave the bus, kids should wait for the bus to make a complete stop before getting up from their seats. They should use handrails and take five big steps in front of the bus while making eye contact with the driver. The child should cross only when the driver says it's safe, and look left, right and left again prior to walking across the street.